Convert Indonesian forests, APP China

EoF News / 07 November 2007

Pekanbaru (EoF News)—Rainforest Alliance announced that it has terminated contractual agreement with Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) in auditing and verification on its China forestry operations after wisely considering the long-standing conversion by the pulp company in Indonesian natural forests.
“Rainforest Alliance has determined that we can no longer be perceived as part of that effort to mislead the public and APP/Sinar Mas customers,” said the US-based organization on its public statement released October 2007. APP/Sinar Mas Group operations in Indonesia is part of “greatest concern” where criticism launched to the Rainforest Alliance (RA) saying that APP continues to convert high conservation value forests (HCVF). RA said that the progress occurring to APP China plantations could not prevent it from  halting the contracts with the company due to “the company’s performance in other regions and forests where it operates or has influence continues to indicate a lack of improvement.” RA has partnership with APP in China through SmartStep Program. The organization continued, “From our perspective and based on our experience of working with the company, in spite of APP’s progress in China, its actions in Indonesia do not support such a conclusion.”
The suspension could end if APP comply with some requirements offered by RA including  to conduct an immediate logging moratorium “on any and all conversion of native forests or ecosystems on all company and joint venture concessions.”

In Jan/Feb this year RA previously stopped its SmartWood contractual agreement with APP in auditing HCVFs in Indonesia’s Riau forestry operations following failures made by the company in complying with the recommendations and commitment.
Find the RA public statement at:  http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/forestry/smartwood/pdfs/term-ssagreement-aap.pdf

 

 

 

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